Venus and the Pleiades 4/4/2020

[mikeDnight]

A rare observation. I'm not referring to Venus among the Pleiades, but rather me using a reflector.

Edited April 5, 2020 by mikeDnight

[JeremyS]

Gotta love those diffraction spikes, @mikeDnight😁

I'm sure you didn't find them at all distracting.

 

[JTEC]

Pretty impressive detail!  If I might ask, how do you cope with the glare/brilliance of the disc as you’re not using any filtration?

Some imagers want spikes so badly they even buy little apps to add them in where there aren’t any 😂

Edited April 5, 2020 by JTEC

[paulastro]

I didn't realise what that big cross through Venus was until someone mentioned diffraction spikes. 

You do know that you don't get them if you use a refractor don't you Mike?  🤣

[JeremyS]

27 minutes ago, paulastro said:

I didn't realise what that big cross through Venus was until someone mentioned diffraction spikes. 

You do know that you don't get them if you use a refractor don't you Mike?  🤣

I hear he’s getting a diffraction mask to use on his Tak as he finds he likes them so much.

[paulastro]

I think you're right Jeremy.  Mike obviously likes to draw them - but then he is very artistic 🌝.

[JeremyS]

5 minutes ago, paulastro said:

I think you're right Jeremy.  Mike obviously likes to draw them - but then he is very artistic 🌝.

There was a time when diffraction spikes made him cross. Now he can see the point.

🙂

 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, JTEC said:

Pretty impressive detail!  If I might ask, how do you cope with the glare/brilliance of the disc as you’re not using any filtration?

Some imagers want spikes so badly they even buy little apps to add them in where there aren’t any 😂

I struggled a bit with the 10" as its brilliance did make it difficult at first, but just carefully studying the planet over time and aided by the occasional light cloud crossing the field helped. I did keep tripping over those spikes though as the planet drifted across the field. Very unpleasant things!

I've never understood why imager's seeking the perfect star image, would pay thousands for a FSQ or similar scope, and then purposefully add diffraction spikes???

[mikeDnight]

48 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

There was a time when diffraction spikes made him cross. Now he can see the point.

🙂

 

I drew them in anger Jeremy. Can you tell? 😠

[Alan White]

You can tell he's cross 🤣
In all honesty I know what Mike means though, the spikes either bother you or they don't.
Similar to Coma as well as in another Marmite thing.
 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, paulastro said:

I think you're right Jeremy.  Mike obviously likes to draw them - but then he is very artistic 🌝.

Well, reflector lover's go on at length about the tiniest, almost non-existent colour fringe around the limb of the Moon or the brightest stars in their critique of refractors. I thought I'd point out the far more destructive effects of diffraction caused by the spider veins, because they not only extend from the object, they cross it, smearing the image, damaging definition and softening lunar and planetary detail. This is perhapse one reason why some reflector users find it so hard to believe why a top end, relatively small aperture refractor can reveal such fine detail.

Anyhow Paul! How are my people skills doing? 👍 👎 or something else? 

[Alan White]

Fine people skills, very fine 👍

[Ruud]

I love the sketches, Mike, especially the close-up. I have no scope with vanes, and never looked though one at Venus, so I have a spike question: Why aren't the spikes planet wide in the close-up?

[miguel87]

Great sketching,

I did the same whilst viewing through my 8" reflector.

Very similar views but I was not able to pick out any detail on the planet.

However, it is perhaps the most well defined I have seen the phase. And obviously it looked fantastic amongst the sisters.

Mike

[JTEC]

Here you are, this will cheer you up.  Notice how the image is subtly enhanced by the judicious use of star spikes. The effect is all but imperceptible but the difference is there 🤣

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, Ruud said:

I love the sketches, Mike, especially the close-up. I have no scope with vanes, and never looked though one at Venus, so I have a spike question: Why aren't the spikes planet wide in the close-up?

They were, but thought it would  be difficult to represent with such limited room. I'd have had to shade the whole page.

[BRADLEY 1953]

Great sketch Mike, I had a similar effect using my 130mm APO, viewing Venus through the tree tops, the tiny branches creating diffraction spikes! Unwanted perhaps, but not confined purely to reflectors.   Cheers  Chris.

[paulastro]

mikeDnight said:

 

This is perhapse one reason why some reflector users find it so hard to believe why a top end, relatively small aperture refractor can reveal such fine detail.

Anyhow Paul! How are my people skills doing? 👍👎 or something else? 

 

You haven't got any  particular 'relatively small aprerture refractor' in mind have you Mike?  😀

I'm not sure why you asked me how your people skills are doing Mike.  In my view your people skills have always been in a class of their own.  😜